Curiosity not only killed the cat, but did a number on Pandora too. Don’t open the box, they said. Bad things will happen, they said. Taboo! they said. Pfft, taboo? Who cares about that!
　　Well, a great many people actually. And not just people, but our cultures, societies, and religions (check out The Psychology of Taboo for an in depth look). My dog even understands, if not the word, at least the concept of taboo—she knows not to pee on the carpet, and woe the unfortunate soul who tries to steal her favourite toy. So yes, poor Pandora, taboo does matter.
　　It especially matters where love is concerned. Of course, things are less binding than before, and we’ve moved a long way from the days of arranged marriages and concubines, but even in this modern day and age we see taboo wrapping its fingers around our most intimate interactions. Struggles of social standing, discriminatory patterns, or simple cultural conditioning can lead us to either abandon or forge ahead in love (see Frozen Love and No More Rules, No More Love for more on this). Whichever route it pushes for, taboo is there, never far from love’s side.
　　And there are, without a doubt, many paths that taboo can take. Depending on where, when, and to whom you were born, taboos can differ wildly (take a look at The Taboos that Are Swallowed Down and Spit Out for some good examples). There are similarities however, and parallels of belief are common, if not exactly the same: Where a Hindu wouldn’t eat beef due to religious taboos, an American might be vegan for reasons of economics. It’s the same taboo with different origins (see To Feng Shui or Not to Feng Shui for more parallels).
　　The minute Pandora opened that box, she knew there was a reason it had been “taboo-ed”. We may not always understand our taboos, and like Pandora we may be tempted to open up the box just to see what’s inside—even though exploring personal taboos might have devastating effects. But don’t forget, even Pandora found something worthy of her curiosity in the end—hope.
　　
　　好奇不止杀死猫，对潘多拉的影响也不小。人们说，别打开那个盒子。人们还说，那会招致灾难降临。禁忌！他们说。啐，禁忌？谁会在意啊！
　　嗯，事实上很多人还是在意的。而且不止是人们，还有我们的文化，社会以及宗教（参看《禁忌背后的心理》一文来进一步了解这个话题）。就连我的狗也知道“禁忌”到底是个什么概念——尽管她不一定认识那个词——她知道不要在地毯上撒尿，要是哪只可怜虫要抢她心爱的玩具，她会对其“鬼哭神嚎”。所以，没错，可怜的潘多拉，禁忌的确很重要。
　　当谈到爱情这个话题时，禁忌就尤为重要。当然，比起以前，条条框框少了很多，而我们也早已远离“包办婚姻”和“三妻四妾”的时代，但即使是在今时今日，我们看到禁忌的“魔手”在情爱关系方面仍然力量强大。社会地位的不对等，歧视偏见或是简单的文化障碍都会让我们在爱情上要么放手不顾，要么勇往直前（请看《爱情标错心》和《禁果格外甜》这两篇文章有关这方面的探讨）。无论禁忌把爱置于何种境地，它都在那里，有爱，就有它。
　　而且毫无疑问的是，禁忌能延伸到许多方面。你出生的地方、时间和家庭不同，禁忌也会有巨大的差别（在《“吞下去”和“吐出来”的禁忌》一文里能找到有力的例子）。然而，万事之间总有相似之处，即使不完全一样，也常有相似的信条：印度人因为宗教原因而对牛肉避之不及，美国人可能会因为经济原因而成为一名素食主义者，也把牛肉拒之门外。这是相同的禁忌，不同的缘由（请看《信风水？不信风水？》一文）。
　　潘多拉打开盒子的那刻，她知道那被视为“禁忌”是有原因的。也许我们并不一定都明白我们那些禁忌的来龙去脉，或许我们也会像潘多拉那样禁不住诱惑去打开盒子一窥究竟，纵然探索个人的禁忌也可能会带来灾难性的后果。但是，别忘了，即使是潘多拉也在盒底找到了某些值得好奇的东西——希望。